Did you know that the word Himalaya means “home of snow”? In the Sanskrit language, “Hima” means snow and “Alaya” means abode. The Himalayas are the highest mountain system on earth. Mountains such as the Himalayas have influenced China politically, culturally and economically. Throughout history, river valleys such as the Yangtze and Huang He valleys and their natural barriers known as the Gobi and Taklamakan Desert have played an important role in the development of Chinese culture and history. Two major rivers that impacted China were the Yangtze and the Yellow River. The longest artificial waterway is the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal connected the Huang He and Yangtze rivers together (Penn 313). The Yangtze is the largest river in China and the fourth largest in the world (Hook and Twitchett). The Nile and the Amazon are the only two longest rivers ("Geography"). The Yangtze was very important because it is one of the few rivers that can transport large quantities of water (“Yangtze River”). When summer has a rainy season, the Yangtze flows into nearby lakes ("Yangtze River and Lakes"). Along the rivers there are numerous animals such as Tibetan antelopes and snow leopards. People used the Yangtze River for rice and wheat irrigation ("Spark View"). The Yangtze River helped make agriculture possible. The floods led to fertile soil which led to increased crop yields. The second largest river in China is the Yellow River. The Yellow River overflows a lot during the summer. The floods caused drowning, starvation, disease, and crop damage. The floods caused around two million deaths. The Yellow River flows through the Great Wall. The Huang-He River gets its name from the yellow silt left behind. During its dry months, the river is m...... at the center of the barrier...... China's natural barrier is the Taklamakan Desert The Taklamakan is the largest, driest and hottest desert in China. Silk Road crosses the Taklamakan Desert. The Silk Road served as a transportation route for the Chinese. It spread trade and culture ("Taklimakan Desert"). Hruschka). This very sandy desert has extremely low temperatures in winter. Sometimes the temperature reaches minus twenty degrees Celsius ("Gobitec"). The Gobi and Taklamakan deserts isolate and protect China. As described, Chinese geography has had both positive and negative impacts on China. China's territory consists of mountains, deserts, and river valleys that have influenced China. China's natural barriers have also played an important role in the development of Chinese culture and history.